German Patent document 93 19 405 U1 describes an apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by solidifying in layers a liquid material which can be solidified under the influence of light at locations corresponding to the cross-section of the object, with a trough for holding the material, a light source, a device for projecting the area to be exposed onto the surface according to the cross-section of the object to be solidified, a positioning device for positioning the object to be formed relative to the trough, wherein the surface of the material to be exposed is covered by a transparent plate and the transparent plate which is provided in the bottom of the trough.
It is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object which exhibits improved practical handling capacity and therefore allows greater productivity.